title: Effects-directed analysis of sediments from polluted marine sites in Norway.
abstract: The environmental status of two polluted marine sites in Norway was investigated by a combination of target chemical analysis and effect-directed analysis (EDA). The two selected sites, the Grenland area and Oslo harbor, in addition to two reference sites, were classified according to the Norwegian environmental classification system based upon results of the target chemical analyses. The polluted sites were characterized by high levels of metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). High levels of organotin compounds were also detected in Oslo harbor. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) agonist activity in extracts of sediments from marine sites close to Oslo, Oslo harbor, and Grenland were investigated using the CALUX (chemical-activated luciferase expression) assay, which showed elevated levels of activity. As expected from the history of dioxin release into the Grenland area, the results were highest in this area. The presence of estrogen receptor (ER) and androgen receptor (AR) antagonists was also detected in the sediment extracts. Following fractionation of the sediment extracts, EDA was used to tentatively identify the AhR agonists. The compounds responsible for AhR agonist activity in samples from Oslo harbor were isolated in fraction 13, and to a lesser extent in fractions 9-11. In Grenland, the main activity was found in the more polar fractions, namely fractions 14-18. The AhR agonists identified in Oslo harbor were mainly PAH, while in the Grenland area the compounds identified were mainly nitrogen/oxygen-containing polyaromatic compounds (N/O-PAC).
authors.affiliation: NIVA-Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway. mgr@niva.no
authors.forename: Merete
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grung
authors.forename: Kristoffer
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Næs
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fogelberg
authors.forename: Anja Julie
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Nilsen
authors.forename: Werner
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Brack
authors.forename: Urte
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lübcke-von Varel
authors.forename: Kevin V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D059001:Aquatic Organisms / Q000187:drug effects; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D008670:Metals / Q000633:toxicity; D009664:Norway; D009947:Organotin Compounds / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon / Q000032:analysis; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D009947:Organotin Compounds; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D018336:Receptors, Aryl Hydrocarbon; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls